Types of family models and gender inequality

The concept of family policies result from the mutual interaction of family models, which are formed by the structure of the family and the type of cohabitation, the division of roles in the household, and the care of dependent or older members of the household (Mozny 1999). All these elements are influenced by cultural factors that arose from the historical development of each country, but also by anchoring in the institutional norms set by the state. Different social systems also lead to different types of family policy (Mozny 1999). According to Sainsbury's (1996), two basic styles of family life have been created. These types differ in many measures and accesses of a given state social policy: the first type is the male breadwinner and the second type is the individual model (Sainsbury 1996). A typical feature of a male breadwinner model is the support of a classic marriage and the clearly separated work responsibilities of a

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man and a woman (Sainsbury 1996). The man represents the position of the head of the household and his duty includes financial security of the family through work activity in the labour market. The role of a woman is then caring for their household and for their children (Sainbury 1996). The mother does not have her own financial income and is thus fully dependent on her partner or on contributions from the state (Fraser 1994).

According to Fraser (1994), this model is the personification of gender differences. The boundaries between the public and private spheres of life are strictly observed. Work associated with caring for dependent family members and caring for a household in a private area is not significantly financially compensated (Sainsbury 1996).

The second model is individual. In this model, each adult is responsible for himself / herself, and spouses have the same rights and obligations to family responsibilities, financial security, and care for dependent members (Sainsbury 1996). A big difference also concerns the rights to the availability of the support provided. In such system, partners do not differentiate between work responsibilities related to employment or child care, but they look at individual needs of family members (Sainsbury 1996). An important part of family care responsibilities is taken over by the state, blurring the boundaries between public and private life for both partners and allowing them to partially perform both functions, the breadwinner and caregiver (Sainsbury's 1996).

The dimensions of the different variants of social policy show that support for family policies based on the breadwinner style do not allow fathers to be strongly involved in childcare, as they are predetermined in the role of a breadwinner (Sainsbury 1996).

Similarly also the author Kreimer (1999) divides the model into male breadwinner and woman into caregiver. A man takes over the paid market work and thus also the financial provision of his family, and a woman takes over the unpaid family work and only appears as an additional earner on the market, often in connection with financial necessities (Kreimer 1999). Looking at the models and the structure of family policies of both examined countries it is evident that the Czech Republic and Austria belong with their conservative style and their ideology to the male bread winner model as described by Sainsbury (1996). However, it should be noted that policies of both countries show a great effort for greater equality between men and women and the division of domestic and caring responsibilities. Nevertheless, the established model of family policy of the Czech Republic caters mainly to families living in a traditional type

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of cohabitation based on conservative norms. The Czech state thus wants to optimize benefits of social support intended directly for families (Haskova 2010). The typically conservative distribution of family roles in which the man played primarily the role of breadwinner has a long tradition in the Czech Republic (Haskova 2010). However, the traditional model of family coexistence, known mainly from the times of the industrial period, encounters a number of obstacles in today´s modern times (Ingot 2008). Kreimer (1999) admits that even though Austria makes good steps forward in equalizing the role between a man and a woman it still belongs to the traditional division of a male breadwinner model (Kreimer 1999).

The traditional division of roles known from the male-bread winner model leads to gender inequalities. Closely related is the inequality in the labour market and the possibility of having the same opportunity to be financially independent and not to depend on state support. Authors Knijn and Kremer (1997) point out the importance of division of roles in the household and state that unpaid childcare work is not only a reduction in economic productivity, but it is an important activity with low social recognition, which leads to inequalities between men and women. As a solution to the conservative approach, Lewis (1992) gives the so-called dual earner model and dual carer, which supports the participation of the female labour force in the labour market and reduces dependence on household responsibilities. It also supports greater father involvement in child care, and, last but not least, it supports a value of unpaid work.

Although this model looks like the ideal type in the fight against postmodern social risks, it has its critics. The first point includes activity in the labour market, as this model assumes that there will be ideal conditions and demand for participation in the labour market, which in reality is not mostly true (Lewis, Cambell, Huerta 2008).

Furthermore, this model is based on the base that responsibilities are divided between two partners and it no longer takes into account single parent families in which both roles must be taken over by one of the parents (Lewis et al 2008).

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3 Concept of post industrialization and New Social Risks

The structure of the family often changes and creates completely new models. The coexistence of several generations is also changing, which leads to increased demands in care. The change from a male bread winner model to single parents’ families creates new social and economic risks for families. For this reason, the next chapter deals with the concept of New Social Risks that arose as a result of post-industrial society.